Budgie - Parakeet - Parrot Blog

Q & A For Your Pet Bird

Here's a question for our budgie parakeet parrot blog:

Hello! Ok, I have four parakeets; three of them
are males and one is female. I've owned Pepper (the female) for
four/five years. The very odd thing is - Pepper has not layed one egg
since we brought her home! I'm starting to wonder if she's an eggless
bird??
Deidre.

Deidre: Thank you for your question. Your female parakeet Pepper may not lay eggs, unless she has a nest box and a mate. Parakeet females usually select one male that they like and they mate for life. Parakeets (Budgies) form very close bonds with each other.

You did not say whether Pepper has a mate or whether you put a nest box in the cage. Some female birds will lay eggs even when there is no male bird, but many will not. A nest box, especially if she has a mate, will also prompt her to lay eggs, because she has a safe, secluded place to do so.

These are some thoughts to consider as to why she is not laying eggs, as most female birds have the ability to do so. You could also ask your veterinarian your question, as she can examine your bird to see if there is a medical condition that is preventing your bird from laying eggs. Some birds become egg-bound, which can be life-threatening, so you should be familiar with the symptoms and the treatment. Please contact me if you have any more questions.

Jill

Our female has laid her first baby and I soaked up some oats when I heard the baby crying what else can we feed them? how do we get the female to feed her baby? thank you. Gloria

Hello Gloria: I hope this finds your baby bird alright. The sight of of a helpless baby bird begging and crying for food is heartbreaking when the parents do not feed it. I know it is critical that the baby bird gets nourishment shortly after hatching. The best scenario is where the mother bird feeds her babies, but in some cases, mother birds show no interest in their young. Not only will some not feed their babies, some will actually harm them. At this point, unless you have other birds that are breeding and they would be willing to feed and care for the baby, your other option would be to hand-feed it. I do not know what type of bird you have, but if you are unfamiliar with hand-feeding, I would recommend that you consult an avian veterinarian.

I have details on my parakeet page regarding feeding of the parent birds when they have gone to nest. As you mentioned, soaking oats or groats in water is one type of soft food to offer adult birds. In addition to this, many breeders I know, add a vitamin mixture and an egg food mixture to this. Then again, not knowing the type of bird you have, I would be unable to tell you if this type of soft food diet is right for your birds. A soft food diet should ideally be given to the parent birds as soon as they start sitting on eggs, even before the baby birds hatch.
Thank you for your question on the parakeet parrot blog and good luck with your birds.

Jill

hi i have 2 parakeets, one male and one female and i just fond an egg in the bottom of the cage in their bowl of water. then i found the empty shell in some news papers in the cage already eaten. anyway, i,ve had my birds for about 4 yrs now going on 5 yrs on x-mas eve of this yr. anyway, my birds are hveing eggs. what do i do.and also i have a female cockateil in another cage by her self and shes layed 4 eggs so far. o male cockateil though.even though i only have one female cockatei and shes haveing several eggs aday what do i do about this problem? and will any of these eggs hatch even my female cockateil is sitting onthem will these eggs hatch at all? please let me know. thanks. patty

Hello, Patty: Regarding your parakeets, again it is normal that your bird is laying eggs. However, because she lays them all over the cage and does not sit on them, I would remove the eggs as you find them. Parakeets, unlike cockatiels, will lay only a certain amount of eggs per nest. Four to six eggs is average and when they are done, even if the eggs are removed , they usually will not lay anymore to complete that clutch. They may lay another set of eggs, as I mentioned above, to start a second nest. You can remove these eggs just as you did the first set of eggs that were laid. Please visit my website on parakeets for more information on breeding them.

If you do decide to breed them, remember that it is a considerable committment. These are some questions to ask yourself. Do you have the time it requires? Consider cost, because you will need to buy more bird food, as well as special foods that are necessary during breeding. Do you have the cages and space for that many more birds? If not, do you have homes to place them in, or perhaps a pet store that would take them? Always consider these things before breeding birds and bringing new baby birds into the world.

Thank you for your questions to our parakeet parrot blog. I wish you the best with your parakeets and cockatiel.